Oberhausen Manifesto of 1962, product of 26 writers and filmmakers who had accepted West German government grants

Oberhausen Manifesto of 1962, product of 26 writers and filmmakers who had accepted West German government grants

• Oberhausen Manifesto of 1962, product of 26 writers and filmmakers who had accepted West German government grants

• “Der alte Film ist tot. Wir glauben an den neuen.” (“The old cinema is dead. We believe in the new cinema.”)

• West German government funding of films/TV presentations followed

• 1967 Film Subsidies Board

• 1974 Film and Television Accord (Film-Fernseh-Abkommen)

Early importance of:

• Early importance of:

• Volker Schlöndorff (trained with Louis Malle, Alain Resnais, Jean-Pierre Melville)
• Alexander Kluge (one of the Oberhausen spokesmen),
• Margarethe von Trotta (established a “female aesthetic”)

Soon thereafter, the darlings of international film festivals:

• Soon thereafter, the darlings of international film festivals:

• Rainer Werner Fassbinder
• Werner Herzog
• Wim Wenders

The movement emerged in a national environment of “forgetting” the Nazi past.

• The movement emerged in a national environment of “forgetting” the Nazi past.

• However, across a wide variety of contexts, “diffused or denied responsibility” is a repeated theme. . . Not truly a “forgetting.”

• Also, the individual or “typical” person’s perspective is presented.

• The NGC auteurs were politically sensitized, but this is often submerged in their films.

• These auteurs were not a coherent group.

Volker Schlöndorff

• Volker Schlöndorff

Rainer Werner Fassbinder

• Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Werner Herzog

• Werner Herzog

Wim Wenders

• Wim Wenders

NGC auteurs employ a variety of styles, but avoid the “slick” American style of fast editing, classic 3-point lighting, etc.

• NGC auteurs employ a variety of styles, but avoid the “slick” American style of fast editing, classic 3-point lighting, etc.

• Late, some films (e.g., The Nasty Girl, Lars von Trier’s Zentropa as impacted by NGC) used a unique style of composite shot

• The Nasty Girl,
• Michael Verhoeven, 1989 (trailer, 2:08)

March 31, 1939 - present

• March 31, 1939 - present

• Directed 42 films and TV shows since 1960

• Served as a writer on 26 films and TV shows, producer on 14, and actor in 10

• Important works:

• Young Torless (1966)
• The Tin Drum (1979)

• Worked as an assistant director for Louis Malle and Alain Resnais (prominent directors in the French New Wave!)

• Has worked in “Hollywood” as well as Europe (e.g., Death of a Salesman on U.S. TV in 1985; Voyager, 1991; Palmetto, 1998)

• Was married to Margarethe von Trotta from 1971 to 1991

• Has served as the chief executive of the German production company Studio Babelsberg (formerly known as UFA!)

May 31, 1945 – June 10, 1982

• May 31, 1945 – June 10, 1982

• Writer-Director-Producer-Editor-Actor

• Directed 43 films and TV shows between 1966 and 1982

• Served as a writer on 46 films and TV shows, produced 13, edited 18, and acted in 43

• Important works:

• Ali – Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
• Fox and His Friends (1975)
• The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978)
• Querelle (1982)

• One of the central figures of the New German Cinema movement

• Liked to explore themes of social alienation and institutionalized violence

• Died of an overdose of cocaine and sleeping pills, age 37

September 5, 1942 – present

• September 5, 1942 – present

• Directed 68 films since 1962

• Served as a writer on 55 films, producer on 31, and actor/voiceover in 32 (e.g., Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe, 1980)

• Important works:

• Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
• Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
• Fitzcarraldo (1982)
• My Best Fiend – Klaus Kinski (1999) (doc.)
• Grizzly Man (2005) (doc.)
• Encounters at the End of the World (2007) (doc.)
• Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) (doc. in 3D)

• The only feature film director to have filmed on every single continent, including Antarctica.

• Also the only director who could ever successfully control actor Klaus Kinski (this may in part be because their families shared a Munich apartment when they were young).

• Long, extended landscape shots are among his trademarks; “TV uses landscapes. I transform landscapes – I direct landscapes.”

February 21, 1942 – present

• February 21, 1942 – present

• Directed 26 films and TV shows since 1975

• Served as a writer on 22 films and TV shows, and has acted in 32

• Important works:

• The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum (1975)
• The German Sisters (1981)
• Hannah Arendt (2013)

• Has starred in films by Rainer Werner Fassbender and Volker Schlöndorff

• She and Volker Schlöndorff were married from 1971 to 1991

• Her films center around strong female protagonists, generally in a politically-charged setting

• She is the most successful and prominent female member of the New German Cinema

August 14, 1945 – present

• August 14, 1945 – present

• Birth name: Ernst Wilhelm Wenders

• Directed 53 films and TV shows since 1967

• Served as a writer on 38 films and TV shows, producer on 39, and actor in 25

• Important work:

• Alice in the Cities (1974)
• The American Friend (1977)
• Wings of Desire (1988)

• Wenders has been successful and influential in more mainstream cinema, as well, including the English-language:

• Paris, Texas (1984)
• Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

• Has directed music videos for U2

• President of the European Film Academy

March 14, 1941 – present

• March 14, 1941 – present

• Directed 30 films and TV shows since 1965

• Served as a writer on 12 films and TV shows, and producer on 14

• Important NGC work:

• Das Boot (1981) – earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director

• Petersen’s success with Das Boot led him to “Hollywood” success, both critically and at the box office. His high-profile films since that time have included:

• Enemy Mine (1985)
• Outbreak (1995)
• Air Force One (1997)
• The Perfect Storm (2000)
• Troy (2004)

July 13, 1938 – present

• July 13, 1938 – present

• Directed 46 films and TV shows since 1967

• Served as a writer on 30 films and TV shows, a producer on 21, and an actor in 30

• Important works:

• The White Rose (1982)
• The Nasty Girl (1990)

• Most of Verhoeven’s film subjects have involved the ugly legacy of Nazi Germany.

• Not related to Dutch director Paul Verhoeven

• Married actress Senta Berger; together they formed the production company Sentana.

German Title: Der Junge Törless

• German Title: Der Junge Törless

• Produced in 1966

• Directed by Volker Schlöndorff

• Written by Herbert Asmodi and Volker Schlöndorff, based on the novel Die Verwirrungen des Zoelings Toerless by Robert Musil

• Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, May 9, 1966

• A tale of sadism and peer pressure at a boys’ academy, that serves as a metaphor for the social pressures experienced in wider German society during Nazi rule. Two boys at a boarding school launch a sadistic assault on a classmate after he steals from them. Initially a passive witness, the titular character’s guilt grows until he can’t stand by any longer. But is it too late?

• Nominated for the Palme d’Or and winner of the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival

• Won three Film Awards in Gold at the German Film Awards, for Outstanding Feature Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay

• The homoerotic subtext in the film is a much watered-down version of the book, where it’s actually text.

German Title: Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

• German Title: Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

• Produced in 1972

• Directed by Werner Herzog

• Written by Werner Herzog

• Premiered in West Germany on December 29, 1972

• Spanish explorers (conquistadores) search for El Dorado (the city of gold); they are led to their doom against all logic

• The madman leader, Aguirre, is played by Herzog staple and madman Klaus Kinski (see also Herzog’s 1999 documentary “My Best Fiend”

• During the filming, Herzog threatened to shoot Kinski when the actor threatened to quit the film. When asked about the incident, he elaborated: “The nearest police station was 40kilometers away. And for $20 flat they would have testified to it being a hunting accident.”

German Title: Alice in den Städten

• German Title: Alice in den Städten

• Produced in 1974

• Directed by Wim Wenders

• Written by Wim Wenders and Veith von Fürstenberg

• Premiered first on West German TV on March 3, 1974, then released to theaters on May 17, 1974

• An alienated journalist, traveling through America, is saddled with a 9-year-old girl when the girl’s mother disappears.

• Reflects effect of American pop culture on post-war Europe

• First installment of Wenders’ “road movie trilogy,” which also includes The Wrong Move (1975) and Kings of the Road (1976)

• Received the German Film Critics Award for Best Film in 1976

German Title: Angst essen Seele auf

• German Title: Angst essen Seele auf

• Produced in 1974

• Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

• Written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

• Premiered in Munich on March 5, 1974

• When a Moroccan auto mechanic in his forties and a lonely German widow in her sixties meet in a Munich bar, they embark upon a relationship that everyone around them considers vastly inappropriate, and must find the strength to stand up to doubts both from without and within.

• A meditation on acceptance, and how the prejudices of others can undermine someone’s resolve.

• A semi-remake of Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows (1955)

• Nominated for the Palme d’Or, and won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at Cannes

German Title: Faustrecht der Freiheit

• German Title: Faustrecht der Freiheit

• Produced in 1975

• Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

• Written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Christian Hohoff

• Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1975

• A man wins the lottery and faces exploitation by his homosexual lover and friends; a tale of greed and exploitation, and a realistic look at classism in society, etc.

• Fassbinder, normally overweight, put himself on a strict diet to lose enough weight to play the titular character.

• Other English title for the film: “Fist-Fight to Freedom”

German Title: Der Amerikanische Freund

• German Title: Der Amerikanische Freund

• Produced in 1977

• Directed by Wim Wenders

• Written by Wim Wenders, based on the novel Ripley’s Game by Patricia Highsmith

• Premiered in West Germany, June 24, 1977

• A tale of deceit and double-dealing. Con man Tom Ripley, currently working in the art forgery business, is approached by an associate who wants him to become a hit man. Unwilling to do so, Ripley suggests his associate approach a picture framer he works with, who is dying of leukemia. Metaphorical for the relationship between European cinema and Hollywood!

• Ripley’s Game is a sequel to the book The Talented Mr. Ripley, which had been adapted into the 1960 film Plein Soleil. Both have since been remade in America.

German Title: Die Ehe der Maria Braun

• German Title: Die Ehe der Maria Braun

• Produced in 1979

• Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

• Written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Pea Fröhlich, Peter Märthesheimer, and Kurt Raab

• Premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 20, 1979

• A gritty tale about life after World War II, focusing on a woman struggling to stay afloat in the harsh postwar economy and occupation, unsure whether her husband – who was sent back to the front less than a full day after their marriage – has survived the war or not. Her quest for survival forces her to make unsavory choices that take her further and further away from the peace she seeks.

• Nominated for the Golden Globe; won four Film Awards in Gold and the Film Award in Silver for Best Feature Film at the German Film Awards.

German Title: Die Blechtrommel

• German Title: Die Blechtrommel

• Produced in 1979

• Directed by Volker Schlöndorff

• Written by Jean-Claude Carrière, Volker Schlöndorff, Franz Seitz, and Günter Grass, based on the novel by Günter Grass

• Premiered in West Germany on May 3, 1979

• Dark comedy dealing with the Nazi issue through the eyes of the most innocent, a child; allegorical tale of refusal of one individual to accept responsibility (he quite literally refuses to grow up–shades of Peter Pan)

• Winner of the 1979 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

• In 1997, it was banned as “obscene” by an Oklahoma City District Judge. Tapes were seized from Blockbuster and Hollywood Video stores, as well as the local library. Oklahoma City vice officers also raided the home of a local ACLU director of development, who had rented the video. Over a year later, the case was dismissed.

German Title: Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht

• German Title: Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht

• Produced in 1979

• Directed by Werner Herzog

• Written by Werner Herzog (based, of course, on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula and the original Nosferatu)

• Premiered in France on January 17, 1979

• A loving remake of F. W. Murnau’s 1922 classic German Expressionistic film.

• Since the copyright on Dracula had since expired, Herzog restored the characters’ names to those of the book characters, but held onto Murnau’s plot structure.

• The film was shot simultaneously in German and English, so the English version is technically not a dub.

• Good achievement in atmospheric horror, featuring Herzog’s signature use of landscapes.

• Kinski stands out as the vampire. He had to spend approximately four hours per day in makeup, but never once threw one of his famous tantrums; he and makeup artist Reiko Kruk had a good relationship.

Produced in 1981

• Produced in 1981

• Directed by Wolfgang Petersen

• Written by Wolfgang Petersen and Dean Riesner, based on the novel by Lothar G. Buchheim

• Premiered in West Germany September 17, 1981

• Powerful, intense film that illustrates the claustrophobic atmosphere and tension inside a German U-boat during WWII; provides the viewer an opportunity to view the war through the eyes of the “enemy” Etc.

• Received six Academy Award nominations

• All of the major actors could speak English, and did their own voices when the film was dubbed.

• With a budget of $15 million (31 million DM), it was the most expensive German film ever made until Perfume: The Story of a Murderer came out in 2006.

German Title: Die Bleierne Zeit

• German Title: Die Bleierne Zeit

• Produced in 1981

• Directed by Margarethe von Trotta

• Written by Margarethe von Trotta

• Premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 4, 1981

• Two sisters, Juliane and Marianne, are on a quest for social justice, but take remarkably different approaches. While Juliane works as a journalist and uses this as a platform for her causes, Marianne joins a group of radical domestic terrorists. When Marianne is imprisoned for her involvement in the group, Juliane’s continued support of her progressively damages her own life and relationships.

• Won the Golden Lion and FIPRESCI Prize at the Venice Film Festival; Actresses Jutta Lampe and Barbara Sukowa tied for Best Actress and both took home the prize!

German Title: Die weiße Rose

• German Title: Die weiße Rose

• Produced in 1982

• Directed by Michael Verhoeven

• Written by Mario Krebs and Michael Verhoeven

• Premiered in West Germany, September 24, 1982

• A German resistance group in Nazi Germany faces danger at every turn; film explores daily life under fascist rule, including harsh treatment of women.

• Based on real events at Munich University during World War II

• Won the German Film Award in Silver for Outstanding Feature Film; star Lena Stolze (also the star of The Nasty Girl) won the German Film Award in Gold for her performance.

• The inflammatory speech given by the Gauleiter, which incites the campus riot, is word-for-word from the real-life speech.

Produced in 1982

• Produced in 1982

• Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder

• Written by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Burkhard Driest, based on the novel Querelle de Brest by Jean Genet

• Premiered at the Venice Film Festival, August 31, 1982

• A homosexual nightmare/fantasy based on a novel by Jean Genet; last film by Fassbinder; a highly stylized and expressionistic film starring French New Wave darling Jeanne Moreau and Brad Davis (Midnight Express)

• R. W. Fassbinder’s final film

• Controversial enough that it received no prizes at any of the film festivals it was entered into, something that triggered a tirade from Venice Film Festival judge Marcel Carné, who felt it had been slighted; to date, the only “award” nominations it has ever received were three Razzies for its music.

German Title: Der Himmel über Berlin

• German Title: Der Himmel über Berlin

• Produced in 1987

• Directed by Wim Wenders

• Written by Peter Handke, Richard Reitinger, and Wim Wenders

• Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, May 17, 1987

• An angel falls in love with a mortal and begins searching for a way to become mortal, himself.

• Inspiration for the 1998 film City of Angels

• Nominated for the Palme d’Or; won Best Director at Cannes

• Also won Best Foreign Film at the 1989 Independent Spirit Awards

• A replica of the Berlin Wall had to be constructed for filming, because filming the actual wall was prohibited. It had to be rebuilt after the first mock-up warped in the rain.

German Title: Das schreklilche Mädchen

• German Title: Das schreklilche Mädchen

• Produced in 1989

• Directed by Michael Verhoeven

• Written by Michael Verhoeven

• Premiered in West Germany February 15, 1990

• A strong-willed young woman struggles to research the role of her small town’s past in Nazi resistance. . . or collaboration.

• A fictionalized version of the story of Anna Rasmus and the town of Passau in Bavaria

• Denial of responsibility is again shown

• Nominated for the Academy Award and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film

• Note the rear-projection/matte shot style

Produced in 1990

• Produced in 1990

• Directed by Agnieszka Holland (Poland)

• Written by Agnieszka Holland and Paul Hengge, based on the book by Solomon Perel

• Premiered in France November 14, 1990

• A very personal look at Nazi Germany through the confused eyes of a German-Jewish boy who survives by posing as a non-Jew, even joining the Nazi army; based on true events .

• Holland’s screenplay was nominated for the Acadamy Award for best adapted screenplay

• It was not nominated for Best Foreign Language Film because it received a very lukewarm reception in Germany itself and thus not submitted.

• Director Agnieszka Holland, herself, is Polish, and generally considered part of the Polish New Wave movement rather than the New German Cinema.

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